The invention enables creating a mark-able document for a user to mark, and recognizing and processing the user-marked mark-able document to generate an accurate user-readable result that has broad application. The application program used to create, process, and generate a printed output based on the processing includes an array of functionality to create a wide variety of mark-able documents.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for creating a mark-able document, comprising: creating a definition file defining the content and layout of, and instructions for processing user-made-marks on, the mark-able document; automatically generating a globally unique identification (GUID) upon creation of the definition file, the GUID being associated with the definition file; storing the definition file and the GUID; creating a two-dimensional identification representative of the GUID, the two-dimensional identification containing a plurality of blocks, each of which encodes either a first state or second state, and which collectively encode an identifier, the two-dimensional identification being positioned along a side edge of the document and being configured to detect and correct any skew that occurred during generation of a scanned image of the document after having been marked by a user and find the stored definition file from among other stored definition files; outputting the mark-able document; scanning the mark-able document containing user-marks and generating and saving an image thereof; reading and decoding the two-dimensional identification; identifying the GUID based on the reading and decoding of the two-dimensional identification; accessing the definition file associated with the identified GUID; analyzing the image based on the definition file and the user-made marks on the mark-able document, including detecting and correcting any skew in scanning the mark-able document containing user-marks based on the reading and decoding of the two-dimensional identification; and outputting a result of the image analyzing operation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating of the definition file comprises inputting at least one category, a plurality of mark-able items associated with the at least one category, and at least one formula defining relationships between the at least one category and the plurality of mark-able items.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the inputting is performed using an interactive window displayed on a display associated with a computing device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the GUID comprises decoding the two-dimensional identification for the mark-able document.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: using the decoded two-dimensional identification, detecting whether the image is skewed, and if so, de-skewing the image.
6. A non-transitory medium containing a program for directing one or more processors to create a mark-able document, the program comprising: instructions for creating a definition file defining the content and layout of, and instructions for processing user-made-marks on, the mark-able document; instructions for automatically generating a globally unique identification (GUID) upon creation of the definition file, the GUID being associated with the definition file; instructions for storing the definition file and the GUID; instructions for creating a two-dimensional representation of the GUID, the two-dimensional identification containing a plurality of blocks, each of which encodes either a first state or second state, and which collectively encode an identifier, the two-dimensional identification being positioned along an edge of the document and being configured to detect and correct any skew that occurred during generation of a scanned image of the document after having been marked by a user and find the stored definition file from among other stored definition files; instructions for outputting the mark-able document; instructions for scanning the mark-able document containing user-marks and generating and saving an image thereof; instructions for reading and decoding the -o-dimensional identification; instructions for identifying the GUID based on the reading and decoding of the two-dimensional identification; instructions for accessing the definition file associated with the identified GUID; instructions for analyzing the image based on the definition file and the user-made marks on the mark-able document, including detecting and correcting any skew in scanning the mark-able document containing user-marks based on the reading and decoding of the two-dimensional identification; and instructions for outputting a result of the image analyzing operation.
7. The medium of claim 6 , wherein the instructions for creating the definition file comprises instructions for inputting at least one category, a plurality of mark-able items associated with the at least one category, and at least one formula defining relationships between the at least one category and the plurality of mark-able items.
8. The medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions for inputting renders an interactive window displayed on a display associated with a computing device.
9. The medium of claim 6 , wherein the instructions for identifying the GUID comprises instructions for decoding the two-dimensional identification for the mark-able document.
10. The medium of claim 9 , further comprising: instructions for detecting whether the image is skewed, and if so, de-skewing the image, using the decoded two-dimensional identification.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 4, 2010
September 24, 2013
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